Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an

anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - 2017 All Rights Reserved.

Bunkers - Chapter 4 - Song of Angels, Book III

Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova

Song of Angels - Book 1 - Table of Contents
Birth - Book II -Table of Contents

Book III Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3,

While Mindy and Myra prayed for their safety from inside the house, about 300 yards from the house, Cyrus and Lewis Holk hid in the wood where they had felled a number of trees to prepare them for firewood or projects.

Aspens, poplars, and cottonwoods, many of the trees had their branches still on them and so they made a perfect little fort with an excellent view of the road off to the east, they could also see the house off to their left.

“Do you see anything?” Cyrus whispered. Holk was to his right.

“It’s still a little too dark to see that far but maybe. Look out there about a mile and a half up the road.”

“Let me climb up if they are that far.” Cyrus said as he climbed up the pile of logs. He did not raise himself very high which was good because he saw a rider no more than two hundred paces out who road just to their left, off the road about two hundred yards but alongside it. He saw someone else on the other side of the road. He crawled back down very quietly and whispered to Lewis, “There are scouts on either side of the road. The closest is nearly on us, maybe two hundred yards out.”

Lewis looked as the sky began to grow bright. The sun was about to break over the mountains to the east. “I see him.”

“The other is over there.” Cyrus pointed.

“I see him – wait there are a lot more about a mile behind them, look there.” Holk whispered.

“I count ten, no eleven riders back there.” Cyrus said.

“What do we do?” Holk asked.

“You know how to use both the rifle and pistol, right?” Cyrus asked him.

“Yes, you showed me how and you know I can use it.” Holk answered.

“Then, I will fire a warning shot to get their attention and ask them to turn away. You be prepared in case they charge us.” Cyrus detailed their plan.

”Okay. I am ready.” Holk said. He took up position in the log pile with his rifle pointed out through a gap.

Cyrus crawled up on the pile of logs back to the top. He was hidden behind branches but he could still see everything. The scout on their side of the road was no more than fifty yards away, off to the north, about fifty yards from the wood. He saw the other one on the north side of the road was behind a hill looking at the house. “You there, I see all of you. What are your intentions on my ranch?”

The dogs must have been asleep. They were up and barking in the direction of Cyrus. The dogs did not know he and Holk were over here. One of the dogs caught the scent of the man behind the hill. It turned and barked toward him.

“Where are you at?” The scout on horseback asked and turned his horse toward Cyrus but did not stop. He continued to walk his horse. “I can’t a see you.”

“Never mind that,” Cyrus yelled. “Halt right there and answer my question.”

“Now look Mister,” the rider said as he continued to advance, “We are just passing through on the way back from the California gold and heading to the east to go back home.”

“You are heading west. East is behind you.” Cyrus yelled.

“Oh, there you are,” The rider said and kept approaching. “Yeah, we know we are heading west and that is because we thought we could pick up a meal for some work at your ranch.”

“Cyrus, the eleven in the back have kicked their mounts up and are heading this way.” Holk whispered.

“I see ‘em.” Cyrus said. “That’s all fine I suppose. I might be able to use some hands for a bit. But why don’t you just halt and we will talk it over.” The rider was no more than thirty paces away.

“Oh I see you now.” The rider snapped up his musket to fire at Cyrus and Holk shot him with the rifle. Shock registered on the rider’s face, “I thought there was only one.” He held his hand up and it was covered in blood. He looked at it and fell off his horse. His musket fired into the air and then fell beside him. The rider’s horse stood there. Looked at his owner and then started to graze like nothing had happened.

Lewis Holk reloaded while Cyrus climbed down. “That is a cavalry horse.” Cyrus whispered to Holk as he took up position. “Where did that other scout go?” Cyrus asked as he looked to the left.

The other scout was about to move behind the house. Cyrus raised the rifle and shot him. The scout turned his horse back away from the house. He was leaned over the saddle. He kicked it up to a gallop. The rider fell off as the horse climbed over the hill. The rider lay on the hill and the horse continued on.

“They are going to be on us in another minute or so.” Lewis said.

“Start shooting, we can hit them with these rifles.” Cyrus said as he finished reloading. He pointed his rifle out through the tree gap and fired. Another rider fell.

Lewis shot. There were nine left. They began to spread out. One of them fired from horseback. The bullet fell into the dirt a distance ahead of the pile of logs.

“Hold your fire until we get closer.” One of the riders ordered.

Cyrus and Holk took down two more. “Get the ones sweeping to our right before they make it to the trees. I’ll get the ones on the left.

Holk and Cyrus began to fire as fast as they could. It took Cyrus three shots but he took out the two. Holk fired four times but one was in the trees. “Use your revolver!” Cyrus yelled.

He pulled out his pistol as they charged up to the log pile. Holk was firing his pistol. Cyrus fired. The riders fired. They had muskets. Soon, before they could reload. There were only two left.

Both were wounded but not as bad that rode away. A bullet smacked the log next to Lewis’s head. Both Cyrus and Holk fired and a man fell off to their right. “Make sure he is dead.” Cyrus said.

Cyrus picked up his rifle and loaded it. He aimed at the back of the two riders that fled. His first shot dropped the leader. His second missed. He heard Holk fire his pistol off to the right, twice.

Cyrus shot the other fleeing rider and he fell off his horse. Holk came back.

“Reload your pistol and your rifle. Let’s be sure that none them haunts us.” Cyrus said and he did what he commanded. Once they were loaded, they mounted their horses to see if anyone was left alive.

Off in the distance, a man in full general’s field cavalry uniform sat his horse behind a small hill about five miles away. He watched through a spyglass. His aides stood around him and a regiment was ranked but at ease holding the reins of their mounts behind him.

“They are all fallen or dead.” General Scott said as he chewed a cigar. He lowered his spyglass and put it in its case. He handed the case to an aide. “I want those weapons those two men carry.”

“Should we take their position sir?” Captain Falworth asked from horseback to Scott’s right.

“No, we have seen what they can do. I will not throw away the lives of the men under my command needlessly; Captain Pierce should have retreated immediately once he saw he was outranged.”

“He was always headstrong.” Captain Falworth said. “This time, it killed him.”

“Prepare a white flag, Captain. We shall ride into that ranch, properly, fully surrounding them but we will buy those rifles and pistols, or at least find out where they bought them.” Scott ordered.

“Yes sir.” Captain Pierce saluted then turned his horse to the rear to give the necessary orders.

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